MANGAI THOOKU (RAW MANGO GRATED PICKLE )

The below is for making 1/2kg thooku.
Ingredients:
Raw mangoes - 3 big
Ginger - 3 inches
Green chillies - 3
Curry leaves - 4-5 strings
Red chillies - 3
Fenugreek / Methi seeds - 2 Tbs
Mustard seeds - 2 tsp
Sesame oil - 1/4 ltr
Red chilli powder - 3-4 tsp
Turmeric powder - 2 tsp
Jaggery - 1 small pc
Asefetida - 3 tsp
Rock Salt - 2-3 tsp
Heavy bottom vessel / non stick pan.

Method / Vidhie:
1. Grate mangoes in a grater to get thin strings.
2. Peel of the skin of ginger and grate them too.
3. Coarsely chop the green chillies.
4. In a pan dry roast the fenugreek seeds. Once they cool make a powder.
4. In a pan add the sesame oil and heat well.
5. Once the oil gets heated up add mustard splutter them well.
6. Add curry leaves, asefetida, red chillies, green chillies and fry for 30 secs.
7.Now add the grated mango and ginger to it slowly.
8. Keep stirring and add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and cook well.
9. Now add for 2-3 spoons. If u don't have rock salt add normal powder salt.
10. Keep Stirring well till the oil leaves the mixer.
11. Now add the fenugreek powder and mix well for 2 mins.
12. Once its done and a good aroma fills the house cool it down in a bowl.

13. After it cools down pour in a air tight container. Be carefull that it is moisture free.

This pickle of 1/2kg costs more than hundred rupees in Indian market.
Whereas, now you have the recipe which saves cost, hygienically done at home, can be kept at least for 2-3 months.Every fifteen days take out the mixture and saute in a pan, cool it and store again.
This makes the shelf life of pickle more.

PUDINA (MINT) GUN POWDER

Ingredients:
Pudina / Mint leaves - 1 whole bunch
Channa Dall / Gram Dhal - 2 cups
Urad Dall - 1/2 cup

Dry red chillies - 6-7 (depending upon how much hot u require)

Asefetida -1/4 tsp

Method / Vidhie:

1. Wash completely the Pudina / Mint leaves to take out mud & other dust from it.

2. Pluck the leaves from each stem and keep aside.
3. Dry these leaves under sun. If you do not get direct sunlight dry them under fan.
4. Make sure the leaves turn a bit brown and not a single amount of water is present.
5. It is advisable to wash and dry the leaves atleast three days before you make the powder.
6. Heat a pan. On to it add channa dall, urad dall and dry roast till they turn light brown in colour.
7. Do not over heat them so that they turn into black colour.
8. Now dry roast the red chillies which the stem on it.
9. Pluck the stem once u have roasted them.
10. Add asefetida and salt separately and roast them in the pan after turning off the heat.
11. Add the pudina / mint leaves to the pan and just saute them in the heat that is present in the pan.

12. In a mixer add the dalls, chillies, asfetida, salt, pudina and grind them.

13. Grind them till they become a good soft powder.
14. Take the powder from the mixer put them on to a plate and cool them down.
15. Store them in an air tight container. You can keep the container even in deep freezer.

16. Keeping the container outside also stays for 1 month.

Keep hot white rice. On it add sesame oil or ghee and mix well.
Add the Pudina / Mint gun powder mix well and its ready to eat.

Few interesting facts:
Pudina has a unique medicinal quality to make the stomach ache vanish.
Its aroma brings a unique sense of freshness even after it is dried.
This gun powder is originated from southern part of India and it is eaten before the sambhar /rasam.
It can also be taken as a condiment by mixing sesame oil / ghee for puffed idllies & dosas.
Enjoy being a foodie.

HARI BHARI CHAPATHI

Ingredients:
Atta/wheat flour - 3 cups
Methi/fenugreek leaves - 5 small bunches
Pudina/mint leaves - hand full
Amchoor - 1/2tsp
Milk - 1/2 cup
Jeera powder - 1/2tsp
Jeera - 1tsp
Water - 1 1/2 cup
Salt
Oil
Ghee - 2tbs

Method / Vidhiee:
1. Wash and finelly chop mint and fenugreek leaves.
3. In a pan add ghee and splutter jeera.
4. To it add mint and fenugreek leaves and saute them well.
5. Add jeera powder, amchoor & salt.
6. Saute them well and cool them down.

7. In a bowl add atta & the above mixer.
8. Mix well. Add milk and keep kniding them
9. Add water when ever required.
10. Make a chappati dough.
11. Take small portion of the dough.
12. Make a ball and flatten them into chappatties.
13. Put them on to medium heat tawa and cook them adding oil when it turn light brown.

Serve with gravys. Its healthy and fibre content main course.

MASALA POORI

Ingredients:
Atta / Wheat flour - 2 cups
Kashmiri red chilli powder - 1tsp
Chat Masala - 1/2 tsp
Amchur / Dry mango powder - 1/4tsp
Garam Masala - 1tsp
Sooji / Rawa - 1/4 cup
Green chilli paste - 1/2 tsp
Green coriander levaes - 1/2 cup
Oil to fry
Salt to taste
Water

Method / Vidhie:
1. In a bowl put the atta,sooji,all the dry masalas, coriander leaves, chilli paste, salt and mix well.
2. Add water to the mixture in order to make a dough.
3. Once the dough is made roll small balls of the dough and keep aside.
4. On a flat surface dust some flour and flatten the balls. Do not flatten very thin.
5. Do not use more flour to dust the dough.

6. In a heavy bottom pan add refined oil enough to fry the rolled balls.
7. When the oil is heated up well add one by one the flatten dough and fry them both the sides.

8. While frying a dough do not minimize the heat.

Serve hot with Aloo sabji / tomato sauce / Grated mango pickle.